(c) whether a top cyber security expert of the Ministry of IT was sent to Toronto to meet the researchers who apparently proved that the computers had been hacked;

ANSWER: MINISTER FOR C & IT (SHRI A. RAJA)

An agency of the Government has been investigating such types of attacks by adversaries for some time.

Attack attempts were witnessed on selected information systems. An investigation had already been launched into the matter prior to the reports that appeared in the media. The agency is working in close coordination with various agencies and service providers to identify reportedly affected computer systems, their locations and thereafter sanitizing them. The investigation will enable a comprehensive view on the subject to deal with the threats to be worked out.

Minister of State for Communications and IT led a delegation to USA and Canada to explore the possibility of collaboration in the area of Information Technology including cyber security. The delegation which included Director General, Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) also visited university of Toronto and Munk School of Global Affairs and interacted with the team of researchers in the said school. The Director of the Research Group which brought out the report “Shadows in Cloud” was also part of the team of Munk School of Global Affairs that interacted with the Indian delegation.